Do you need to promote your digital artwork and graphics on-line?
By promoting your artwork as downloadable recordsdata, you may make cash with out having to pay for transport or skilled printing. You also can promote the identical digital artwork or graphic file numerous occasions.
In this text, we are going to present you how one can simply begin promoting your digital artwork and graphics on-line utilizing WordPress.
Why Sell Your Digital Art and Graphics Online?
If you’re an artist, there are many methods to promote your work on-line. For instance, you might create a print-on-demand shop and flip your graphics into branded merchandise or high-quality prints.
However, extra and extra artists are promoting their work as digital downloads slightly than tangible items. These gadgets might embrace inventory picture libraries, downloadable worksheets, ebooks, templates, and extra.
Selling digital downloads lowers your prices since you don’t have to pay for printing and transport charges. You additionally don’t have to fear about bodily storage, provides, or managing your stock. All of this implies you spend much less time and effort for greater income.
With that in thoughts, let’s see how one can promote digital artwork and graphics on-line.
Which Platform Should You Use to Sell Digital Art and Graphics?
First, you’ll want to select an eCommerce platform that you simply’ll use to promote your artwork and graphics as digital downloads.
An eCommerce platform is software program that you simply’ll use to add your paintings and then supply these recordsdata on the market.
While it’s attainable to change your eCommerce platform later, doing so will be disruptive to your small business. To keep away from that, it is vital to select your eCommerce platform rigorously.
For this use case, you need to decide a platform that has been designed particularly for promoting digital downloads.
That’s why we advocate utilizing WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads for promoting artwork and graphics.
WordPress is the best website builder on this planet. It powers over 43% of all web sites on the web together with tens of millions of internet sites the place folks promote digital downloads. WordPress provides you full management over your web site, so it’s straightforward to design a lovely and eye-catching website the place you’ll be able to exhibit your work.
Easy Digital Downloads is one of the best WordPress eCommerce plugin to promote digital merchandise. In truth, we use the plugin ourselves to promote a lot of our premium WordPress plugins.
With WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads, you’ll be able to promote as many merchandise as you need with out paying excessive transaction charges. This provides WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads an enormous benefit over different platforms corresponding to Sellfy, Gumroad, Sendowl, and WooCommerce.
With that being stated, let’s check out how to simply create a WordPress website with Easy Digital Downloads, so you can begin promoting your digital paintings and graphics on-line.
Step 1. Setting Up Your WordPress Website
Before you begin constructing your WordPress website, it’s vital to know that there are two kinds of WordPress software program, WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
We’ll be utilizing WordPress.org, often known as self-hosted WordPress, as a result of it has extra options and flexibility. For an in depth comparability, you’ll be able to see our information on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
To begin promoting digital artwork and graphics with WordPress, first you’ll want a domain name (like www.wpbeginner.com). If you don’t have already got a reputation in thoughts, then you’ll be able to see our information on how to choose the best domain name.
You’ll additionally want web hosting which is the place your web site’s recordsdata are saved on-line, and an SSL certificate so you’ll be able to securely settle for bank card funds in your WordPress website.
A site title usually prices $14.99/12 months and internet hosting prices begin from $7.99/month. The worth of an SSL certificates differs relying on the place you purchase the certificates. However, you’ll be able to anticipate to pay wherever between $50-200 / 12 months for an SSL certificates.
As you’ll be able to see, the internet hosting and safety is pricey, particularly for artists who’re simply beginning out.
Thankfully, one in every of our high beneficial internet hosting suppliers, SiteGround, is providing an enormous 73% off deal on their managed internet hosting for Easy Digital Downloads. It comes with a free SSL certificates, Easy Digital Downloads pre-installed, and all of the optimization options you want.
You can get began for lower than $4 per thirty days.
Let’s go forward and stroll via how to buy your area title, webhosting, and your SSL certificates.
First, you’ll want to head over to the SiteGround website and click on on the Get Plan button.
After that, SiteGround will ask you to enter a website title to your web site, and they may even present you some non-compulsory extras you should buy.
You don’t have to fear concerning the extras at this level as a result of you’ll be able to at all times add them later in order for you it, so we advocate skipping this step.
After that, you simply want to enter your fee data to end the acquisition.
You’ll get an e-mail quickly with particulars on how to log into your new account. Once you login, you will notice two buttons below the Websites tab: Site Tools and WordPress Admin.
Site Tools is your web site’s internet hosting dashboard the place you’ll be able to handle every part associated to your website, corresponding to setting up your emails.
Clicking the ‘WordPress Admin’ button takes you to the newly put in WordPress website that already has Easy Digital Downloads pre-installed for you.
This will take you to a display the place you’ll be able to log into your WordPress dashboard.
Here, merely sort within the username and password you created, and then click on on ‘Log In.’
Now, you’re prepared to begin constructing a web based retailer to promote your digital artwork and graphics.
Are you utilizing a special WordPress web site internet hosting service like Bluehost, Hostinger, HostGator, or WP Engine? Then you’ll be able to take a look at our information on how to install WordPress for step-by-step directions for these internet hosting suppliers.
Step 2. Setting Up Your eCommerce Plugin
If you’re utilizing SiteGround, then Easy Digital Downloads already comes pre-installed.
If you’re utilizing a special internet hosting supplier you then’ll want to set up and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. If you need assistance, then please see our information on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Once you might have entry to the Easy Digital Downloads plugin, go to Downloads » Settings.
First, you’ll set your retailer’s location.
You might plan to promote your artwork and graphics as digital downloads solely, however Easy Digital Downloads will nonetheless use your location to auto-fill some fields when a customer makes a purchase order.
It might also use your location to calculate gross sales tax.
To add your location, merely open the ‘Base Country’ dropdown menu. You can then select the place your small business is predicated.
Next, discover the ‘Base State / Province’ area.
Here you’ll be able to open the dropdown and select the state or province the place your retailer operates from.
When you’re proud of the data you’ve entered, click on on the ‘Save Changes’ button to save your adjustments.
Step 3. Adding a Payment Gateway to WordPress
When promoting digital artwork and graphics on-line, you’ll want a method to settle for credit score funds out of your prospects.
By default, Easy Digital Downloads helps widespread fee gateways together with Stripe, PayPal and Amazon Payments.
Want to use a special fee gateway as a substitute? You can add additional fee choices utilizing the Easy Digital Download extensions.
To add fee gateways to your web site, go forward and click on on the ‘Payments’ tab. Then be certain the ‘Gateways’ tab is chosen.
In the Payment Gateways part, test the field for every of the gateways that you really want to add to your web site.
If you test multiple fee technique, you then’ll want to select a default gateway. This fee gateway will probably be chosen routinely when the customer arrives at your checkout web page.
You can use any gateway you need, however Stripe can settle for bank cards in addition to Apple Pay and Google Pay. With that in thoughts, you might have considered trying to use Stripe as your default fee gateway.
After choosing a number of fee gateways, click on on the ‘Save Changes’ button.
You will now have entry to new tabs the place you’ll be able to configure every of your separate fee gateways.
The technique of configuring the fee gateway will probably be barely completely different relying on which gateway you’re utilizing, however Easy Digital Downloads will stroll you thru the method.
Let’s take a look at Stripe for instance.
To arrange Stripe, merely choose the ‘Stripe’ tab and then click on on ‘Connect with Stripe.’
This launches a setup wizard which is able to stroll you thru the method of configuring Stripe as your fee gateway.
If you’re utilizing a number of fee gateways, you then’ll want to repeat these steps to arrange every gateway individually.
By default Easy Digital Downloads reveals all of your costs in US {dollars}. Once you’ve arrange your fee gateway, you might have considered trying to change the foreign money that’s used in your web site.
To present your costs in any foreign money apart from US {dollars}, simply click on on the ‘Currency’ tab.
Next, open the ‘Currency’ dropdown. You can now select the foreign money that you really want to use in your web site.
Just bear in mind that some fee gateways might not settle for each foreign money. If you’re not sure, then you’ll be able to at all times test your chosen fee gateway’s web site. Most have an inventory of currencies that they assist.
When you’re proud of the foreign money settings, click on on the ‘Save Changes’ button close to the underside of the display.
Step 4. Turn Your Digital Art Into a Downloadable Product
Once you’ve arrange at the least one fee gateway, you’re prepared to create your first digital product. This will be any digital artwork or graphic file that you really want to promote on-line.
To create a digital product, merely go to Downloads » Add New.
You can now sort a reputation for the product into the ‘Enter obtain title right here’ area. This will probably be proven on the product’s web page, so that you’ll need to use one thing that catches the customer’s consideration and precisely describes your graphic or digital paintings.
Next, sort out the outline that can seem on this product web page. You’ll need to give guests all the data they want to resolve whether or not this product is true for them.
For instance, you may embrace the graphic’s dimensions and decision. You may additionally discuss concerning the product’s licensing and how the shopper can use the artwork after shopping for it.
Many online stores and web sites use product categories and tags to assist consumers discover what they’re in search of. These classes and tags also can encourage guests to discover associated graphics and digital artwork merchandise, which might get you extra gross sales.
You can create new classes and tags within the Download Categories and Download Tags field. To be taught extra, please see our step-by-step information on how to add categories and tags for WordPress pages.
Next, you’ll need to set a worth by scrolling to the Download Prices part.
Here, sort in how a lot guests pays to obtain this graphic or digital paintings.
You’re now prepared to add the picture file that you really want to promote. When it comes to pictures, WordPress helps gif, heic, jpeg, png, and webp codecs.
Pro Tip: If you need to promote digital artwork and graphics in a file sort that WordPress doesn’t assist, then see our information on how to allow additional file types in WordPress.
To add your downloadable file, merely scroll to the Download Files part.
In the File Name area, sort a reputation for the file that consumers will get after they make a purchase order. Then, merely click on on ‘Upload a File’ to the fitting of the ‘File URL’ area.
You can now select any picture from the WordPress media library, or you’ll be able to add a brand new file out of your laptop.
Finally, you will have to add a product picture.
When you’re promoting digital artwork and graphics, you don’t need folks to steal your work with out paying. For this cause, we don’t advocate utilizing your authentic digital artwork or graphic because the product picture.
One possibility is to use a lower-resolution model of your picture. Another is to add a watermark to the unique graphic. Or you are able to do each.
If you do create a watermark utilizing web design software, then be sure you present this watermark in a location that isn’t straightforward to crop out.
Many artists place their watermark within the middle of the picture, or they use the watermark in a repeating sample that covers the entire product.
A 3rd possibility is to create a preview of how the consumer may use your digital artwork or graphic. For instance, you might present your work in a mock-up cell phone display or advertising show. Providing context like this will encourage consumers to purchase your product.
To add a product picture, merely scroll to the Download Image part and then click on on the ‘Set Download Image’ hyperlink.
This launches the WordPress media library the place you’ll be able to select a picture or add a brand new file out of your laptop.
When you’re glad together with your digital obtain, click on on the Publish button to make it reside.
Step 5. Customizing Your Digital Download Emails
Every time somebody buys a digital obtain out of your web site, Easy Digital Downloads will ship an e-mail to that individual.
This e-mail has a hyperlink that the shopper can use to obtain the digital artwork file or graphic that they simply bought, as you’ll be able to see within the following picture.
While this e-mail has every part the shopper wants to entry their obtain, it’s a good suggestion to customise it. For instance, you may assist your e-mail stand out by including your personal logo and branding.
To customise the default e-mail, merely go to Downloads » Settings. Then click on on the ‘Emails’ tab.
You might want to begin by including a emblem to the acquisition affirmation e-mail.
This emblem seems on the high of your buy receipt emails, so your prospects can clearly see who this e-mail is from.
To add a emblem, click on on the ‘Upload File’ button. You can now both select a picture from the WordPress media library or add a file out of your laptop.
You also can add a ‘From Name.’ This title will seem within the buyer’s inbox, so that you’ll need to use one thing that the shopper will acknowledge such because the title of your web site or design firm.
You’ll additionally want to add a ‘From Email,’ which is able to act because the ‘from’ and ‘reply-to’ deal with.
Some prospects might reply to the acquisition receipt e-mail. For instance, in the event that they’re having issues downloading the file, they could attain out by merely clicking ‘Reply’. With that in thoughts, you’ll need to use a professional email address that you simply test steadily.
After making these adjustments, click on on the ‘Purchase Receipts’ tab.
On this display, you’ll be able to sort in an e-mail topic, add heading and additionally change the e-mail’s physique textual content.
You might merely sort within the textual content that you really want to ship to each buyer. However, you’ll be able to create extra useful and customized emails through the use of the Easy Digital Downloads function, Conditional Emails.
Conditional Emails use what are known as ‘template tags’ to personalize your messages. These template tags change primarily based on elements corresponding to the client’s title and how a lot they paid for his or her digital obtain. Every time Easy Digital Downloads sends an e-mail, it should routinely exchange the template tags with actual values.
You’ll see all of the completely different tags that you should utilize in Conditional Emails on the backside of the ‘Purchase Receipts’ tab.
When you’ve completed making adjustments, you might have considered trying to ship a take a look at e-mail so you’ll be able to see how the message will look to your prospects.
To do that, merely click on on the ‘Send Test Email’ button and Easy Digital Downloads will ship an e-mail to your admin email address.
Have you clicked on the ‘Send Test Email’ button, however haven’t acquired a take a look at e-mail? Maybe your website isn’t sending emails correctly. If prospects don’t get buy affirmation emails, they received’t have the ability to obtain your digital artwork and graphics.
With that in thoughts, you’ll be able to observe our information on how to fix the WordPress not sending email issue to be certain your emails attain your prospects. You also can take a look at WP Mail SMTP, our resolution to WordPress e-mail issues.
When you’re proud of how the acquisition receipt e-mail seems to be, you’ll be able to go forward and click on on the ‘Save Changes’ button.
Step 6. Test Your Digital Download
Once you’ve created your first Easy Digital Downloads product and custom-made the acquisition emails, it’s a good suggestion to test that guests should buy it with none issues.
Before you do a take a look at buy, it’s vital to put Easy Digital Downloads into take a look at mode. This permits you to take a look at the buying course of with out having to sort in your credit score or debit card data.
To put your website into take a look at mode, you’ll be able to go to Downloads » Settings and click on on the ‘Payments’ tab.
Under ‘Gateways,’ you will have to allow ‘Test Mode’ by checking the primary field.
Next, discover the ‘Payment Gateways’ entry and test the ‘Test Payment’ field to the fitting. Finally, open the ‘Default Gateway’ dropdown and select ‘Test Payment.’
After that, scroll to the underside of the display and click on on ‘Save Changes.’
Now that you simply’re in take a look at mode, go to Downloads » All Downloads. Here, discover the product that you really want to take a look at and click on on its ‘View’ hyperlink.
This opens the product web page the place consumers should buy this digital obtain.
To make a take a look at buy, go forward and click on on the ‘Purchase’ button.
Easy Digital Downloads will now add this merchandise to your cart.
After that, it’s time to click on on the ‘Checkout’ button.
Since we’re in take a look at mode, you’ll be able to merely sort in your e-mail deal with and title, and then click on on ‘Purchase.’
You don’t want to enter any fee data.
After a number of moments, you’ll get a purchase order affirmation e-mail containing a hyperlink to obtain your file.
If every part works and you’ll be able to entry your file, then you’ll be able to add extra digital merchandise to your website by repeating the identical course of described above.
Once you’ve accomplished the take a look at, don’t overlook to take your website out of take a look at mode so you’ll be able to settle for funds out of your guests.
To do that, merely go to Downloads » Settings » Payments. You can then uncheck ‘Test Mode’ in your fee gateway settings.
Step 7. Selecting and Customizing Your WordPress Theme
Themes management how your WordPress web site seems to be together with the colours, format, and fonts. Your theme is the face of your WordPress website and performs an vital function in how guests see your model.
There are 1000’s of various free and premium WordPress themes to select from. You need to be sure you select a high-quality WordPress theme that appears good and has precisely the options you want.
To provide help to make the fitting alternative, we’ve put collectively an inventory of the most popular WordPress themes. Our high decide is the Astra Theme because it’s absolutely suitable with Easy Digital Downloads, free to get began, and utterly customizable.
Once you’ve chosen a theme, you’ll be able to see our information on how to install a WordPress theme.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to create your personal customized theme from scratch with SeedProd. It’s the best drag and drop WordPress theme builder out there, utilized by over 1 million web sites.
SeedProd additionally comes with numerous ready-made, professionally designed templates. These templates embrace layouts which can be excellent for selling graphics corresponding to inventory photographs, worksheets, and ebooks.
For extra particulars, take a look at our information on how to create a custom WordPress theme (no coding needed).
Step 8. Promoting Your Digital Downloads
If you’re going to promote your digital artwork and graphics in your new website, you then’ll want to drive site visitors to your completely different product pages.
This may imply including a product web page to your website’s menu. You may additionally create a sales page to promote your digital merchandise, and then embrace hyperlinks to completely different merchandise you point out in order that guests can test them out.
We’ve additionally seen digital artists create a weblog the place they write about their work, share recommendation and ‘how to’ guides, and cowl different related subjects. These posts are the proper place to embrace hyperlinks to any related digital artwork and graphics that readers should buy.
No matter the way you promote a product, you’ll want to know its URL.
To discover this hyperlink, merely go to Downloads » All Downloads. You can then discover the product that you really want to hyperlink to, and click on on its ‘Edit’ hyperlink.
You’ll discover the URL instantly under the product title.
You can now hyperlink to this product web page from any space of your web site, just by utilizing this URL. To be taught extra, see our step-by-step information on how to add a link in WordPress.
Easy Digital Downloads additionally creates a novel ‘Purchase’ button for every product. You can add this button to any web page, submit, or widget-ready space. That method, the customer should purchase a selected product from any web page in your web site.
When the customer clicks on this button, it should add that merchandise to their purchasing cart. That method guests can begin the buying course of from wherever with out having to go to the product’s particular person web page.
You can add this button to your website utilizing a bit of shortcode that Easy Digital Downloads creates routinely.
To get a product’s shortcode, merely scroll to its Download Settings part. You can then copy the textual content within the ‘Purchase Shortcode’ area.
You can now add the shortcode to any submit or web page, or perhaps a widget-ready space like your web site’s sidebar. For extra particulars on how to place the shortcode, you’ll be able to see our information on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.
You can check it out by pasting the copied shortcode right into a weblog submit or web page, and then you need to see a ‘Purchase’ button within the content material space.
If your guests click on on this button, it should flip right into a ‘Checkout’ button. To full the acquisition, your customers will merely click on it once more to go to a checkout web page the place they will enter fee data and purchase your digital artwork or graphics.
BONUS – Tools to Sell More Digital Art & Graphics
There are 2 primary methods to promote extra of your paintings: drive extra site visitors to your web site, and persuade extra of your web site guests to full a purchase order.
This is the place WordPress plugins are available.
Here are a few of our high picks for plugins that may provide help to get extra site visitors and promote extra of your artwork and graphics:
- All in One SEO is the best SEO plugin for WordPress and might help you optimize your website to get extra site visitors from search engines like google like Google.
- MonsterInsights is the best Analytics solution for WordPress. It helps you see the place your guests are coming from and what they do in your web site, so you’ll be able to resolve your small business technique primarily based on actual knowledge.
- OptinMonster is the conversion optimization software program in the marketplace. You can use it to create optin types to develop your e-mail record and convert guests into paying prospects. It also can reduce shopping cart abandonment.
- PushEngage is the best push notification software for WordPress. It permits you to ship customized net push notifications to let your prospects learn about your new paintings or gross sales and promotions.
FAQs About Selling Digital Art and Graphics Online
Many of our readers have reached out to us with questions on promoting their digital artwork and graphics. We have tried to reply a few of the most steadily requested questions under.
Where can I promote my digital artwork on-line?
There are numerous platforms, shops, and digital marketplaces the place you’ll be able to add your digital artwork and promote it.
Some widespread decisions amongst artists embrace Etsy, Amazon, and Fine Art America.
Many of those platforms have already got a big viewers. By importing your work to these websites, you might have an present viewers of people that use the platform.
However, many of those marketplaces and web sites take a proportion of each sale you make, and some even cost upfront charges. To enhance your income, we advocate creating your personal web site as a substitute.
In this manner, you’ll have full management over your model, and get all of the income from every digital sale.
How a lot does it value to create a web site for my digital artwork?
Setting up a digital retailer is far simpler and cheaper than opening a bodily store.
You can begin with SiteGround EDD Hosting for $5 per thirty days and use free plugins and themes to restrict your prices. We at all times advocate a enterprise mannequin the place you begin small. That method, you’ll be able to spend extra money as you construct your viewers and begin to promote extra digital artwork and graphics.
By utilizing Easy Digital Downloads to promote your paintings, you’ll be able to keep away from most of the upfront prices and intermediary charges you usually get when promoting by way of a web based market corresponding to Etsy. Instead, you simply have to pay industry-standard bank card transaction charges.
For extra data, see our article on how much it costs to build a WordPress website.
Can I additionally promote bodily merchandise?
At some level, you might have considered trying to promote bodily merchandise. For instance, you may create merchandise that includes your graphics or promote your digital artwork as framed prints.
Despite the title, Easy Digital Downloads can be able to promoting bodily merchandise. There’s even a Simple Shipping addon that provides transport options to the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. In this manner, you’ll be able to ship your branded merchandise, framed prints, or different bodily merchandise to your prospects utilizing the instruments you’re already aware of.
We hope this text helped you find out how to promote digital artwork and graphics on-line. You also can undergo our information on the best Instagram WordPress plugins and how to choose the best website builder.
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The submit How to Sell Digital Art and Graphics Online (The Easy Way) first appeared on WPBeginner.
